Initial release of this album on Track Records was mono while a stereo version soon followed. The Reprise Records issue also saw this in both mono and stereo formats. But as with everything Hendrix things are not quite straight forward. We get two different official stereo mixes of this album. If you read Doug Bell's essay on Enhancement then you will have an understanding of which copies contain what mix. Just to give a brief recap, Track, Barclay and Reprise used what is commonly accepted the normal mix while Polydor used the German alternate stereo mix, sometimes referred to as the "safe" mix. This safe mix was also used by Polydor Japan for their initial release of this title. This safe mix found its way onto a Track Records release, Backtrack 11.

Also see studio based releases.

A brief overview of the differences found on the safe mix against the normal mix.

Side A

01. EXP02. YOU GOT ME FLOATING. Vocals central and no panning of the guitar solo03. SPANISH CASTLE MAGIC. Different guitar panning throughout04. WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. Some of the guitar is central rather than panned05. AINT NO TELLING. Some guitar panned right rather than swapping sides06. LITTLE WING. That extra guitar note at 1:0507. IF SIX WAS NINE. Guitar and drums central rather than panned to opposite channels [after the spoken piece].

Side B01. YOU GOT ME FLOATING. Missing six seconds of swirling guitar intro02. CAN YOU SEE ME. Most of the vocals central rather than panned along with some guitar cut03. SHE’S SO FINE. Less panning on guitar04. ONE RAINY WISH. Fuzzed guitar glissade at the two minute mark05. LITTLE MISS LOVER. Extra guitar panning in the last thirty seconds06. BOLD AS LOVE. Different phasing at the end of the track

While Europe got a pre Christmas release the United States and Canada had to wait until 1968 rolled around for the New Year release. Outside of the different mixes we have with this pressing once again we have different covers.

Cover art work:

For the most part the world has used the original art work that came with this album though as usual France took a different approach and later re issues from around the globe gave us a number of variations plus some totally different covers for this album. More recently we have seen a number of "complaints" surrounding the images used in the original design which probably has lead to the removal of this album from sale in a few countries. With the original cover from Track Records and soon followed by Reprise Records we get a gatefold sleeve with the one extended picture across front and rear. A slight variation with the Reprise Records issues having extra text on the front cover, Reprise logo / cat: #, mono or stereo. It is the inner gatefold that see's the biggest difference between these two labels. While Track Records retained the minimalist approach with simply a large format black and white Donald Silerstein photograph and minimum text, Reprise Records gave us the track listing accompanied by the lyrics and a group head shot. That same head shot of the band appeared on the orange double sheet that came with the Track Records issues of the mono and stereo pressings. Much later, Experience Hendrix re issued this title in conjunction with Classic Records, MCA and Sony Legacy, all of these re issues have retained the US inner lay out. Personally, I feel they that US fans and those who do not own a copy of the original Track records pressings are to a degree missing out on what is a fantastic Silverstein shot.

Reprise Records used the Track Records insert as their basis for the inner gatefold of their pressings, the slight changes include white text on a black back ground, logo, and the header of the lay out changed to large format album and band statement. Some notable exceptions to the cover are Polydor International [Greece] which gives us a totally different cover using a head shot of Hendrix, though the actual disc label states stereo it also contains the mono 33 logo [International Polydor Production 2484014].

While the rear cover of one of my favourite pressing to listen to, even with digital in the chain, is the Carlos Olms mastering of the German mix from Polydor Records. This album came in a single sleeve utilising the front [top] of the traditional Axis cover as the front but a re designed back cover.

Some of the later Reprise Records pressings came with a different inner sleeve, here's the inner that my Canadian re press came in. I'm fairly sure other Reprise Records re issue of Hendrix titles would have included this inner, AYE as an instance. Classic Records [or at least the design team behind the Classic Records re release] took on this alternate inner idea and brought us via this mono repress in 2000 an inner containing an essay from John McDermott and an image from Monterey Pop Festival. The re issues of this album from Sony Legacy [including the 2015 pressing in a joint venture with Newbury Comics] also contained this same image inner with an essay again from McDermott.

* Note that with Polydor releases some stamper detail is expressed as:V = an upside down triangle in all stamped matrix detail for the Track Records and Polydor Records pressings while V is expressed as such.% = a diamond^ = A triangle

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF VERY OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS ORIGINAL PRESSING AND THE PIRATE COPIES THAT EXIST OF THIS PRESSING. NOTE THAT THE COVER HAS BETTER COLOUR, THE FOLD AROUND EDGES ARE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE REAR COVER, AND THE SILVER TAB IS NOT PHOTOCOPIED ON THE REAR! THE HAND ETCHED DEAD WAX DETAIL IS HEAVILY ETCHED ON THE ORIGINAL AND FEINT AND INCOMPLETE ON THE PIRATE [ A: 0820167-A / B: 0820167-B]. THE ORIGINAL VINYL ALSO IS A HEAVIER WEIGHT. ALSO, WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO VARIANTS OF THE OFFICIAL COVER. ONE SHOWS A "T" IN THE TOP RIGHT OF THE REAR COVER AND OMITS "IMPRIME EN FRANCE BOTTOM LEFT REAR.